Combatting Hair Product Build-Up

When I was modelling for Pinup Girl Clothing in LA back in March, hairstylist Missy used a trick on my hair that has been a real game changer for me. After brushing out and sculpting my curls, she then hairsprayed and used a blowdryer (with the diffuser on) to set the spray. I started trying it for myself and it does a AMAZING job at keeping a set in place, especially around the bottom which can be prone to dropping out. (I use this method in my Sponge Roller Brush Out series)

However, there is one downside to this method…. I started to notice white flecks on the ends of my hair, mainly around the front area since that’s where I spray/browdry the most. I guessed it was product buildup and the hairspray method being the culprit since that was the only thing that had changed in regards to doing my hair.

I gave it a thorough shampoo, thinking that would do the trick but alas, it was still there! It didn’t really bother me too much especially since it got covered up when I coloured my hair, but it would always come back after a couple of washes.

Last week, after forgetting to bring home some detoxifying shampoo from the salon to try, I decided to used baking soda instead. This had been suggested by multitudes of ladies on Instagram when I first talked about the problem a while back but I never got round to doing it and I was worried the baking soda might dry my hair out.

To do this, I wet my hair and applied shampoo normally to get a good lather and to shampoo roots and areas that didn’t need special attention. Then I got about a tablespoon of baking soda in the palm of my hand, added a tiny bit of water to create a paste and then added some of my most hydrating and nourishing shampoo to help combat any ill-effects of the baking soda.

I focussed the baking soda/shampoo mixture on the areas that I knew needed it and avoided anything else. I gave it a good rub and left it for a few minutes, rinsing and conditioning afterwards.

It was a little hard to tell if it had worked when wet but I was very happy with the results once dry! I am going to repeat the process again with my next wash as there was still a few tiny bits I could see but it was a big improvement. I will probably start doing this every 3rd or so wash to help prevent any further buildup.

One surprising thing was that I had none of the expected crispiness or dryness, my hair almost felt softer than before! So all in all, a very successful experiment. Just be mindful if you have brightly coloured hair as chances are the baking soda will strip some of the colour out.

Have you got any great home remedies that you use on a regular basis? Please share them below!

I used to use this trick all the time when I was working in a small salon which did a lot of old lady sets. It worked a treat every time and I would leave the shampoo and baking soda on for 5 minutes before washing out.

I read that after washing hair with soda it is good to rinse it with apple cider vinegar – about a glass of vinegar for 1/2 l of water. This helps the hair to return to their healphy acidic levels, and helps the hair feel more soft!

Another great way to get rid of product build-up is by using Bumble & Bumble’s Sunday Shampoo. I use this about once a month to just fully clean my hair and it does a great job. Not sure if B&B is sold in NZ or Australia, but I currently live in Guam so I order mine thru Amazon.

Years ago I read about how shampoo strips so much natural oil from your scalp that your skin begins to produce more oil than normal to compensate. The solution was to forgo shampoo altogether. I’ve used nothing but baking soda (sodium bicarbonate…the same stuff you cook with) and water to wash my hair for several years now. I use about a tablespoon dissolved in 2 cups of warm water and massage it into my scalp. Then rinse with plenty of fresh water, and pour about 1/2 cup of white vinegar onto my hair to rinse. I let that sit for a minute or two and rinse again with fresh water. Initially, it took about 4 weeks of washing every other day before my scalp stopped overproducing oil. I now wash my hair every 3-4 days, and it never gets as oily as it did when I was using commercial shampoos, and I don’t have dandruff anymore. I also give my hair a hot oil treatment once a month using hot coconut oil, or olive oil. My hairdresser says she’s never seen healthier hair.